Vortex Flow Detector for Turbine Engine Test Facilities

"Uniform flow conditions are critical in obtaining accurate mass flow measurements from bellmouth-mounted instrumentation. The presence of inlet flow anomalies, in particular vortices, significantly degrades these measurements. Engine test conditions likeswirl and total pressure inlet distortion have unique pressure and velocity characteristics that are distinctly different from that of vortices, and these differences can be used to detect their presence, distinguish them from vortices, and thus ensurerobust operation of the vortex detector under different test conditions. Mid¿ Technology Corp. proposes to use arrays of bellmouth-mounted sensors to measure inlet flow variables and to use the identifying characteristics of the different inlet conditionsto detect the presence of vortices. Both steady and unsteady characteristics will be included in the detector to ensure robust vortex detection over the spectrum test of conditions.During Phase I we will design an offline vortex detector and demonstrate its effectiveness. An optional, limited amount of government supplied test data will also be used to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method. An online prototype vortexdetector will be developed and demonstrated during Phase II. Ground testing of engines plays a critical role in assessing performance parameters and ensuring reliable operation under all flight conditions. The costs of running engine tests in an industrial